


Ultimate Pai Sho

by ItsaVikingThing



Series: Korrasami Week 2017 [3]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Day 3: Sparring, F/F, Fluff, Humour, Korrasami Week 2017, Pai Sho, Two martial arts prodigies get too into a game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-19
Updated: 2017-09-19
Packaged: 2018-12-24 15:55:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12016095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItsaVikingThing/pseuds/ItsaVikingThing
Summary: Asami asks Korra to help her get ready for a challenge that Bolin has set.Korra's only too happy to spend time with her new girlfriend.And it's fun!Until their competitive natures begin to emerge...





	Ultimate Pai Sho

There's a table in the middle of the sparring ground. On the table is a Pai Sho board, ready for a game.

There are no seats, though.

Korra scratches her head, puzzled. Well, she tries to scratch her head, but her hands are wrapped, and she has gloves and headgear on, ready to spar with Asami.

But this doesn't look like it's going to be regular sparring.

Korra says, "Uh...what are we doing?"

Asami sighs. "We went over this while we were warming up!"

Korra braces herself, and looks at Asami.

Asami is very beautiful. Korra knows this. It still takes her breath away, every time she looks at her.

Right now Asami's wearing black shorts, and a red top that doesn't quite cover her midriff. She's wearing gloves, but she's foregone the headgear. Her long, black hair is tied back in a ponytail.

Asami shakes her head, but she's smiling. "Weren't you listening?"

Korra blushes. "Well...when you were stretching?"

"Yes?"

"You were _stretching_. Do you _know_ how distracting that is?"

In answer, Asami yawns and stretches her arms over her head. Korra gulps and tries, unsuccessfully, not to stare at Asami's abs.

Korra's attention refocuses on Asami's face when she snickers.

"I may have _some_ idea," she admits with a smirk.

Korra groans. "Unfair," she mutters.

Korra's wearing loose trousers and a sleeveless jerkin. She has way less opportunity to distract Asami.

Not that it won't be fun trying to figure out ways to distract her, regardless...

They haven't been together long. Just for long enough for Korra to realise that she's going to have to spend the rest of her life rediscovering Asami Sato.

They've been together for long enough that Korra knows that's exactly what she wants to spend the rest of her life doing.

Korra's happier than she's ever been.

But...she loses focus a lot, these days.

Asami grins at her. "Did you miss me telling you _again_?"

Korra hangs her head. "Maaaybe?"

"I wasn't even stretching that time!"

"Yeah, well, everything about you is distracting! You're so...Asami! All the time! It's...you're..."

Asami is suddenly right there, in her arms. "You know I feel the same way, right?"

She says it with her lips, which are perfect, and right there, close enough to touch.

Korra answers with her lips, too.

It's awkward, in the headgear, and with the gloves. It would be too much effort, if it wasn't for the fact that kissing Asami is worth any amount of effort.

Asami breaks it off. She's flushed, and breathing as heavily as Korra is.

"Okay, that was... nice, but...the wrong kind of warmup."

Korra grins. "Are you sure? I think we should keep going. Don't want any injuries through lack of preparation..."

Asami takes two steps back. "Korra! I need your help, here." Her expression shifts. "But, uh, later..."

Korra sighs. Later is the worst, because later isn't right now. But...Asami needs her. "Okay. I'm focused and ready to help! However it is I'm supposed to be helping...?"

"Well, Bolin challenged me to a rematch." Asami nods at the Pai Sho board.

"Huh? You'll destroy him." Korra gestures at the sparring gear. "So why all this?"

"Well, he's calling it Ultimate Pai Sho. You can only make a move if you can get to the pieces on the board within a set time limit. No bending, but otherwise, anything goes."

"That's crazy." Korra processes it a bit more. "And you'll _destroy_ him."

Asami laughs. "Well...maybe. But I like to be prepared. And I thought it might be fun..?"

Korra laughs. "Okay, sure! Why not?"

* * *

They take up position on either side of the table.

Korra's faced with three problems.

One, Asami's better at Pai Sho than she is.

Two, Asami is an incredibly skilled fighter. Without bending, there's not much between them. Korra's stronger, but that's about the only area she's sure she's actually got an edge on Asami.

Three, Asami is smarter than her. She's less likely to fall for Korra's tricks, and much more likely to be able to trick Korra.

But it's just practice. They're just having fun.

Korra says, "So how do we start this off?"

Without warning, Asami's hand jackrabbit snakes out and she makes her opening move.

Asami smirks. "Like that."

The _fourth_ problem is that Korra's stupidly competitive. Korra's eyes narrow and she becomes hungry to win at any cost.

"So that's how it is, Sato? No warning before we start?"

"This is Pai Sho, Korra." Asami's eyes are focused on Korra's shoulders, watching for her move. "I always play to win."

"This is _Ultimate_ Pai Sho!" Korra thrusts one gloved hand at Asami's face. "You're going _down_."

She lunges with her other hand while Asami's distracted, nudging a tile into position.

Asami grins. "Oh, I'm going to enjoy this."

* * *

"Korra. Korra, stop it."

"Stop what? I'm just thinking about my move."

Of course, in order to help her thinking along, Korra's tapping her chin. And maybe the way she's doing it is slightly...exaggerated.

Asami is trying to watch the board, but she's weakening. "Korra, you're not thinking. You're... _flexing_..."

"Is that what I'm doing?" Korra asks, innocently. She pivots smoothly, lowering one arm and slowly bringing her other hand to her chin, flexing her bicep. 

Asami snaps, "Cheater!" Her eyes leave the board, traveling slowly up Korra's physique and settling hungrily on Korra's tensed arm.

Korra's free hand slides a tile several spaces. "Your move, Asami!"

Asami nods, distractedly. "Just...give me a second..."

* * *

Korra's eyes widen when Asami pulls off her hair tie, a process made tricky by her gloves.

"Asami...what are you doing?"

"Oh, just letting my hair down." Asami smirks at her.

Korra whimpers. She knows what's going to happen, and she's powerless to prevent it.

Asami flips her hair.

Her hair rises like a flowing river of black silk striking a boulder on a cliff edge. It flies up and, for a moment, it hangs, lustrous, in the air. Then it drops, now a waterfall, settling around Asami's shoulders in glossy waves and perfectly framing her perfect, grinning face.

Korra sighs.

She wrenches her gaze away, and looks at the board.

Asami laughs. "Your-"

"I know, I know. My move." Korra sighs again. "Worth it."

* * *

Korra widens her eyes. "Whoah! Look at the baby bison! I think that's her first flight. So cute!"

Asami's attention remains entirely on Korra. "You'll need to do _much_ better than that, Avatar."

"No, seriously! You should-"

"The local bison herd is on the other side of the island, and their calves are unlikely to take a first flight for another two weeks."

"You...memorised that, huh?"

"It's in our day planner. I thought we could go for a picnic?"

"Sounds perfect," Korra says, dreamily.

Asami smiles at her. Korra lunges for a tile and slaps it into place.

Asami scowls. "Okay. I see. I'm cancelling the picnic."

Korra's eyes snap up to Asami's face. "What? No, no, I really want to-"

Asami slides a tile into position. She smiles innocently.

Korra takes a breath. "Fine. If that's how it's going to be, it's time to get _serious_. My move."

* * *

Ten minutes later, the first game ends inconclusively. Asami scatters the board when she tries to get past a giggling Korra's hands, which are spread out above Asami's side of the board.

Because of her gloves, Asami succeeds only in smacking Korra's arm into the table.

"Spirits!" Asami flushes. "I was winning!"

She definitely was.

Korra says, "Ha! Nope, I had you right where I wanted you!"

Asami snorts. "Go again?"

"Sure."

Asami frowns as she tries to set up the board. "I'm not sure most of what we were doing is the sort of thing Bolin will try."

"Hmm. You want to change tactics?"

"It's still about having fun, though. That's important!"

"Of course!"

Asami knocks a tile off the table. "Oh, this is ridiculous. Gloves off?"

Korra nods. "Yeah, it's clumsy with the gear on. It's probably _safer_ this way. Gloves off."

* * *

They strip off their sparring gear, reset the board, and take up positions.

Korra says, "So, this time. How should we-"

Asami's hand blurs towards a tile.

Korra was waiting for that, though. She grabs the near edge of the board and tugs it towards her.

Asami misses her tile. She frowns.

"Asami, please. You can't expect to get away with the same trick twice."

Asami sighs. "It was a worth a try, I suppose... sorry, Korra."

"Heh. It's all in good fun!"

Asami hooks her foot around one of the table legs and yanks it towards _her_. She snaps a tile into place before Korra can react.

She smiles at Korra's pout. "You're right! So much fun!"

Korra laughs weakly. "Yay! Fun. My move."

* * *

Korra reaches for a tile.

Asami's forearm blocks hers.

Korra pushes down and to the side, hard.

Asami rolls her arm out from under, not quite touching the board.

Korra gets a finger on her piece.

Asami grabs her wrist, and yanks, threatening to force Korra into an illegal move.

Korra retracts her finger, and twists her wrist, sliding out of Asami's grasp.

Asami hesitates. Her arms return to a guard position over Korra's piece.

Korra winks at her and moves one of her back tiles, instead.

Asami narrows her eyes. "That was sneaky."

"You hesitated when you could've attacked."

Asami glares at her. "Noted. My move."

* * *

Asami sways back, narrowly avoiding Korra's roundhouse kick.

She reaches for the board, hoping to make her move before Korra's recovered her balance.

But Korra's ready for that. She makes a sweep with her left arm, forcing Asami's right arm out wide.

Asami darts in with her left, but Korra's right hand catches her thumb, and locks it out.

Asami hisses in pain, and Korra immediately lets go. "Sorry! I didn't mean to-"

Asami chuckles and slides her tile into place. "You were being gentle. Didn't hurt at all. My game in eight."

Korra stares at her.

Asami grins. "I thought you were going to _challenge_ me."

Korra shakes her legs out. She rolls her shoulders. She cracks her neck. She doesn't break eye contact with Asami once.

Asami blinks. "Uh...Korra? Are you okay?"

Korra growls, "My. Move."

* * *

Asami throws a punch at Korra's jaw.

Korra drops, avoiding the blow. She rolls under the table, aiming to cannon into Asami's legs.

Asami vaults over the table. She twists in mid air, kicking out at where Korra's head would be if Korra were to stand up.

Which Korra doesn't do, obviously. Instead, she reaches up and grabs Asami's foot with both hands, then yanks to the side as hard as she can.

Asami throws out her arms, controlling her spin and landing on her feet. She rushes Korra, feinting a low kick, then launching a flurry of open handed strikes at Korra's torso.

Korra dodges round the corner of the table, keeping her elbows in, redirecting each attack as best she can. She gets in range of her tile.

Asami hops up onto the corner of the table. She launches herself from it, her leg scything out at head height.

Korra ducks under the attack. She quickly straightens up, reaching for her tile.

Asami lands, immediately pivoting and kicking at Korra's chest.

Korra sways back leaning her whole body over the table. She arches her back just enough to avoid both Asami's strike, and the game board. She turns her head to the side.

Asami's foot grazes her ear.

Korra sticks out her tongue, pushing her tile into place.

Asami lowers her leg. She nods, grudgingly.

Korra straightens up.

They circle the table, watching each other warily.

* * *

Asami shakes her head. "It's...no use...Korra. Still...my game."

They're both breathing hard, and sweating.

Korra's in an awkward position on the board, but she managed to prevent Asami's last move, which has turned inevitable defeat into mere _likely_ defeat.

Asami's board position is good. Her physical position is less good, since Korra kicked one of the table legs clean off during their last exchange. Asami's propping the corner of the table up with her knee.

Korra grunts, "Ha! Talk...is cheap...Sato. This game's...not done. Not even... _close_." 

* * *

Korra's got Asami at last.

It's been difficult, even with Asami's range of movement as limited as it currently is, given that she has to prop the table up.

She's so _fast_ , and she's got longer limbs.

Still, Korra's finally gained control of the board.

"You're running out of time. Make a move, Sato. Or, y'know, just give up." Korra grins.

Asami's eyes sweep the board, scan the position of every piece. She even checks the edges of the table.

"Korra...you see how everything is laid out?"

"I do, Asami. I do. Looks like that white jasmine right there could even win you the game, right?"

 _That_ piece is over on Korra's side of the board. That piece is the only danger to Korra right now. But that piece is one Korra can easily keep Asami away from.

Korra can win this on her next move. She just has to keep Asami away from that tile. Korra's body is tense. She's ready to spring.

Asami closes her eyes. "But...you're clear on exactly where everything else is, right?"

"I'm clear, yeah. I'm clear that I'm about to crush you!"

"My move, Korra."

Asami jerks her knee. The table lifts up off the ground. The board leaves the surface of the table. The pieces hover in the air for a fraction of a second.

Korra gapes in disbelief.

Asami's eyes snap open. Her arm darts out. Her finger flicks the white jasmine tile, just so.

Everything comes back down. Asami catches the table.

The board lands. The pieces drop into place.

Korra stares at the board. The pieces are a little askew, but they're all in the same position.

Except the white jasmine.

Asami gasps, "Game!"

Korra gasps, " _No_!"

Bolin gasps, "I withdraw my challenge! Please don't make me do this, Asami!"

Korra and Asami exchange a confused look.

They look at Bolin.

He's standing at the edge of the sparring ground, pale and trembling.

"Bolin?" Asami asks

Korra says, "How long have you been there?"

Bolin says, "About an hour? I got here right after Asami got you in an armlock, but you used your foot to make your move, and...and I was just going to make Pabu climb on you, Asami!"

Korra becomes aware of how low the sun is in the sky.

"Huh. How long were we playing?"

Asami shakes her head. "I...don't know. Uh...could you...?"

"Oh, sure!"

Korra earthbends a support for the table.

Asami smiles, and eases herself upright. "Thanks, Korra." Asami stretches and groans in relief.

"My pleasure." Korra stretches, too, and tries not to stare at Asami. She says, "So, Bolin. What brings you over?"

Bolin shakes himself. "Uh...Opal was wondering if you wanted to go out with us for dinner tonight?"

Korra looks at Asami. "You as hungry as I am?"

Asami laughs. "Dinner sounds wonderful. After a long bath."

Korra saunters over to Asami's side. "That sounds great! Good game, by the way. Almost had you."

Bolin whimpers. " _Good_ game...?"

Asami grins. "I had to dig deep! But it was fun."

Bolin backs away. " _Fun_?"

Korra wraps an arm around Asami. "That last move was incredible. You're incredible."

Korra kisses her, and every ache, every pain, vanishes. 

The sun is even lower in the sky when they break apart.

Asami sighs. "Hey, Bolin? Where are we meeting you and Opal for...oh."

Bolin is gone.

Korra shrugs. "Oh, well. We can call Opal, later. But...I guess the rematch is off."

"Maybe that's for the best." Asami purses her lips. "Unless...there's still a few hours until dinner time." Asami smiles. "Technically, I fouled that first game. So...it's one each. Decider?"

Korra grins. "Oh, you are _on_ , Sato!"

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading folks!
> 
> I had a lot of fun with this one.
> 
> So much so, that I got _really_ carried away with tomorrow's story.
> 
> Tomorrow: Korra and Asami visit Ember Island on their honeymoon! Some very unpleasant firebenders try to ruin their day.
> 
> You can imagine how well that works out for them...and then tomorrow, you can find out! :)


End file.
